The Texan’s report on TriCoachGeorgia Ironman 70.3 Augusta Training Camp

Full text taken from The Texan’s SwimBikeRunJourney Blog here: Tri Coach Georgia Augusta Camp aka 95 miles of training

Tri Coach Georgia Augusta Camp aka 95 miles of Training

I almost don’t even know where to begin to write about camp because there is so much to tell but, I want to start with thanking Tri Coach Georgia, Tri Augusta  & Savannah Riverkeeper for everything they did to make this camp a success. They worked hard to make sure we had great training and treated us to some classic southern hospitality 🙂 All the people in town and at the restaurants showed us the same hospitality. Augusta is a very gracious city to triathletes even though we clog their streets and sidewalks. Even if you do not race the IM Augusta 70.3, any triathlete would find this training very useful & you can’t find nicer people to train with! I left with such a grateful heart.

Travel Day:

Steve and & I flew into Atlanta then rented a car to drive to Augusta. We both forgot what a nightmare that airport is lol plus we had heavy rain getting to Augusta. We didn’t arrive in enough time to pick up our bikes from Outspokin but, that was not an issue as we had plenty of time to pick them up Friday before camp started at noon. We shipped my road bike and they put it together for me and they rented Steve a super nice Felt road bike. I was jealous of his high end gears on that Felt  while I was stuck with Tiagra  – more on that later but was missing my Ultegra gears on my TT bike!

Friday we picked up the bikes from Outspokin – great shop! Reminded me of our own Handlebar Cyclery here in Katy – great folks!

Camp Day One:  Bike & Swim

Camp kicked off at noon with a 31 mile bike ride on the back part of the 70.3 bike course. We rode with some really nice people and Tri Coach GA had a nice stop for us to refill our water bottles etc. In fact a little shower came down just as we pulled up ha. It didn’t last long though. By the time we refilled our bottles it has almost stopped. Bottom line, for this flat land girl these hills were no joke! Between the hills, the heat and the wind it was quite challenging but, happy to report I didn’t run out of gears lol. I was pretty relieved though when the coaches and some experienced cyclists of this course told us that was pretty much the worst the course had to offer. However, I had no illusions that Sunday’s ride of the full course would be any less challenging.

After the ride we went for a practice swim in the Savannah River, which was quite humorous as they had us swim upstream first then turn around and swim downstream. I swam upstream for 11 minutes and downstream for 2 minutes ha!! I was quite happy that Gatorfest the next day – 1.2 mile swim of the course would be all downstream.  I tested out my 2 piece Desoto wetsuit with add on neoprene sleeves. The water temperature was 69 degrees. This would be the coldest water I have swam in ever. But, once I was in the water after about 50 meters it felt rather refreshing. To my surprise this water was no more murky than anything we swim in here in Texas, in fact maybe nicer than some things we swim in here lol.

I was happy to have the practice swim under my belt as the end of day one of camp.

We also met a very nice couple Bev and Kevin and throughout the camp we were usually training close together as we were about the same paces. One of the nicest thing about camp was all the nice people we met & I could finally meet some Facebook friends in real life!

Camp Day Two:  Gatorfest swim & Run

Day two started out with Gatorfest – 1.2 mile swim of the Augusta 70.3 swim course.  This was a swim race for the real swimmers for me it was practice haha.  I can’t lie – I was very nervous. My before and after swim picture tells that tale almost better than I can write it up! I ran into a friend from Katy – Susan who is an accomplished triathlete and swimmer. She suggested that I pour water down my wetsuit before the start to help warm up. It worked like a charm.  By the way, she ended up winning  our AG. She’s amazing.

So my wave was called and I sat on the deck waiting for the gun to sound and when it did I slithered into the water. Didn’t hesitate as I figured it was like a band aid – just rip off !! Once I cleared the docks and started swimming straight to go under the bridges I had a pretty good rhythm going. It’s a point to point to swim so you swim straight until the turn buoy to the swim exit at the end of 1.2 miles. I was doing pretty well until I cleared both bridges and sighted too far ahead. I say that because it made me realize how far I had left to swim and I started to have some breathing issues. But, I took a deep breath and started counting my strokes to get my mind off it. For a while after I cleared the bridges I couldn’t see a buoy, a kayak or even a house on the shore plus I started swimming into the seaweed lol. At that point I just repeated keep swimming Dory just keep swimming. I never had to stop my free style stoke – just kept moving forward and my breathing settled.  There was a point where I honestly wasn’t sure I was going to make it but, I pulled it together and told myself you have done this distance in training a million times only you can stop you from getting to the finish. So I moved on with determination but, I can’t lie when saw the boathouse I knew I probably only had another 3 -4 minutes of swimming tops a sense of relief washed over me.  I was beyond thrilled when I exited the water. I honestly couldn’t believe I made it and I had only been in the water 30 minutes. I was expecting to be in the water 40 -45 minutes even with the downstream push as my last open water time trial it took me 55 minutes to swim it.

In retrospect I was swimming way too fast for my ability and that is why I had a bit of a struggle in the middle. I would have had a difficult time finishing if I needed to be in the water 50 minutes. I think the excitement and the fact I made the mistake of sighting way too far ahead too early gave me an adrenaline rush.That said, the water did not feel too cold in my wetsuit with the add on sleeves. That De Soto wetsuit is the Da Bomb and worth every dime I paid for it!

To my amazement I finished 13/24 in my AG , 56 /135  females & 106/221  overall with an official time of 30:40.  It was nice to feel like a real swimmer for the day. 🙂

The Ironman 70.3 swim will be far more crowded and more combative as the fast swimmers in the next waves catch up to me. Race day I will plan to slither in just behind everyone in my wave and try to stake out some ground. I suspect my time will be closer to 35 – 40 minutes race day due to those conditions and I will be beyond thrilled with that – hooray downstream swimming.

Next up the Augusta 70.3 run course.  I decided to do 7.5 miles, which was just a little more than one loop of the two looped course. Thus, technically I ran the entire course.  It was 11:30 am by the time we started the run so it was warm. But, I guess all my heat training is finally paying off, as I never left heart rate zone 2 – mostly stayed in heart rate zone 1. I could have run faster but the course was not closed so the sidewalk and roads were uneven in addition to crosswalks and parked cars. I decided to take it easy so the legs would be fresh for the 56 mile bike ride the next day which was a wise choice! The course race day other than one quiet section will be awesome as it is very spectator friendly and I know we will have a lot of people out there cheering us on plus an aid station every mile. For the practice run we had two aid stations, which was very helpful and appreciated! Race day I would like to finish this run in 2 hours 30 – 2 hours 40 but, anything under 3 hours I should be good as far as cut offs if the bike goes reasonably well.

Next up after a shower – clinics by the coaches:

The lectures were very useful and covered topics such as injury prevention and course tips.  We also received several good tips from table mates at the lecture.

Swim Course :

Higher turnover instead of full force pull. This hit the nail on the head for me because I truly felt I was using to too much energy pulling in a downstream swim.

Swimming in the center of river will yield the fastest time but, can be crowded (I will have to judge race day where to put myself as I will  have waves coming behind me swimming over me lol) Sight every 6-9 strokes. Buoys on the left shore to the right.

Bike Course:

T- 1 – Advised us to take it slow – mount the bike well past the mount line. Just settle in!

Bottom line the first 1/3 of the course is the “easiest” but, still challenging. This is the time to start settling into to the ride – get your nutrition in and don’t use too much power as you will need energy for later. This will indeed be my game plan. Best Bike Split has a cheat sheet on how much watts I should be pushing when and that will be taped to my bike.

The next 1/3 of the course there are some climbs and some very rough roads. (That vibration on he road bike did indeed make my hands very numb. Still feeling the effects in two of my fingers even today. )

There is one climb that lasts about 5 miles and it’s very deceiving as it almost looks flat but, it’s not.

The last 1/3 things start to get a little flatter after the last hill which I have named dead man’s curve  & it was where I dropped my chain on Sunday I shall be very careful there.

I found both days the back part of the course to be windy as well.

The coaches suggested taking the last few miles to spin the legs take care of nutrition needs and get mentally ready for the run.

Run Course:

It will be hot – that’s a given. They suggest to take the first mile very easy – run at a slower pace than you hope to end up with & start working on hydration and nutrition.  It is a two loop run so a mental challenge in places. The coaches suggested just take things mile by mile. The good news is the run course is very spectator friendly and they told us we will have a lot of people cheering us on as well as an aid station every mile. The best quote of the camp was in response to a question regarding training to run in the heat Coach Slayer said ” This is the Ironman, not the Pussyman.” Yes I realize some might find this offensive but, I loved it and it summed it up just perfect. Coach Slayer also suggested we have a mental mantra during the run and maybe write it on our arm.  Mine will be this quote for sure and I will write it on my arm! As he said it’s going to be hard that’s Ironman 70.3! But, as I have always said nothing easy is worth having though so – suck it up butter cup I say and let’s roll!

Last but, not least they encourage us to enjoy the finisher’s chute! That is truly my plan if I’m blessed enough to avoid mechanical and body failure and make it there.  No sprinting in for me unless I’m close to the cut off. Otherwise I plan to celebrate in the chute as I don’t know when I can realistically train at this level again anytime soon.

Day two of camp completed & it was a great day of  meeting new people and great training.

Camp Day Three:

Time to bike the entire 70.3 Course! As most of you know I train with power on a TT bike. But, I had the road bike at camp so I had to pace myself a bit differently. Luckily my heart rate zones are fairly close to my power zones & the person that tested my zones said my perceived exertion is pretty close to what is actually happening with my body. All pluses for pacing this ride.  However, my hands and feet did not take this ride very well on the road bike. My right foot became numb and painful after mile 30 and never let up. The hands were numb by mile 25 and that never let up either and my ring and pinky finger on the left are still a bit numb. It should pass though from what I read online about this. But, otherwise despite the challenge of this ride – trust me this course was no joke – I enjoyed it. The Tri Augusta group have 4 lovely stops for us to get water etc. What a great bunch to stand in the heat to serve us so we could ride the course.  Steve had a flat right at one of the stations and Alex helped him changed it so it went quicker! So nice and Alex also checked on us along the course to make sure we made it back ok. He came upon us when I dropped my chain on dead man’s curve and offered help but, Steve and I had it back on by then with no issues.

My goal was simply to learn the course and keep the heart rate around or just below tempo. Except on the steep climbs I managed that. I sure missed my TT bike with her good gears & power meter though so hope those things are functioning well race day!!

I learned a lot about pacing – when to push when to hold back and hopefully learned a lot about how to pace my nutrition on the bike. I also know I need to practice changing tires a lot before race day & learn how to put my chain back on!!

The computrainer was fairly accurate in terms of grade etc of the hills. However, you have to practice bike-handling skills outside. Steve gave me several tips on how to shift better etc. It is a bit scary coming downhill and I think race day it will be even harder as there will be so many people on the course. Steve is much better at gearing etc. so learned a lot from him on that. However, I am cautious and I don’t see that changing so I will focus on have a steady but, safe ride race day.

Bottom line – we stopped at all 4 aide stations, changed a flat, put back on a dropped chain and stopped one extra time for me to mix up UCAN (road bike can’t hold all my nutrition mixed up the way the TT bike can) and we still made it in 4 hours 19 minutes. Actual pedal time was 3 hours 37 minutes – ave of 15.34 mph for the entire course. Basically being a flat land girl that is cautious, anything under 4 hours for my bike split I would be happy with race day but, hope for 3:40< split.

There was a great after party when we came back from the ride – good food – good company. We sat with Bev & Kevin to eat and enjoyed discussing all things camp and look forward to seeing them back race week.  All and all a great ride on the bike course.

In summary, I enjoyed every minute of the 95 miles at camp this weekend. As the Tri Coach Georgia motto  says “ Chase Your Dreams – Slay Your Fears” – this camp helped me do just that!

Can’t wait for race day meanwhile, I have a lot of training left to do – game on!

FauxRunner’s report on TriCoachGeorgia Ironman 70.3 Augusta Training Camp

Full text taken from the FauxRunner’s Website here.

Ironman 70.3 Augusta Training Camp

The Ironman 70.3 Augusta Tri Coach Georgia Training Camp was one of the most anticipated events in my training calendar. Mr. FauxTriathlete had done it 2 years ago and I knew he’d benefited from it. There is more than one post that I want to write about this weekend (detailed tips and recon on the course, my personal experience on the course this time, other random topics that conversations over the weekend sparked).

Why attend a training camp? Why this one? Here are my 5 reasons to attend the TriCoachGeorgia Augusta 70.3 Training Camp.

 

1. You get to have a packed, intense, well organized and informative weekend

Remember the days long ago as a kid when you were excited for a sleepaway camp or even a sleepover, that was the excitement the days leading up to the camp. For the ridiculously low price of $100, the camp offered entries to two events – the Gator Fest swim (1.2 or 3.4 mile distance option), and Ride for a Reason (the 56 mile bike ride on the race course); along with seminars on injury prevention and race day strategies.

It’s all about the butt and gut. Strong glutes and core make all the difference in all three sports.

Increasing stroke rate on the downstream river helps you go faster. (I don’t know anything more about this since I’m such a bad swimmer anyway and I like my recovery stroke. If you have any questions on the how and why, I’m sure Ryan will be happy to answer questions)

If you take the first 10-15 miles of the bike course in blazing glory and excitement after the swim, the last 10-15 miles of the bike course will take you down.

Roads at Miles 17-25 are bad. You will find out how well your bottles are secure. Hugging the white line provides the relatively smoothest rides.

 

2. You realize that it is an Ironman 70.3, not P***yman 70.3

Yes, the word was said. Harvey is not one to mince words and the normally offensive word was appropriate as he drilled into us that this race was business and not a stroll in the park.

And I realized as much the last time I rode the course and at about mile 40, I told Mike that this was one of the hardest things I’ve ever done. And it IS. There is a lot of marketing from Ironman that says “Nothing is impossible”. Very true. But only IF you put in all your effort and all your heart and even parts of your soul into it. Running 13.1 miles after biking 56 miles after swimming 1.2 miles is NO JOKE!

It will be hot, especially during the run – train to run in the heat of the day. It sucks, yes. But better now than on race day. 

It will be hilly on the bike course. But it gets flatter the more you ride hills. Prepare on hills, or simulate hills on the trainer if you are a flatlander. 

 

3. You come out of it feeling like the badass you are

(If you’ve been reading my journey and/or know me in real life, you’d know that I never use any out-of-dictionary words. So this one is special!)

My tryst with the Augusta bike course last month left mental scars that I’d worked hard to heal. I put that out of my mind as I started my ride and tried to focus on the fact that I had done the 56 miles once and I’d do it again. I had not only my determination backing me, but I also had the encouragement of course veterans who gave me cheers as I rode out. Chad who reminded me to tighten my core at the hills. And Brian who told me to leave the scars behind and ride. And Katie, who was the sweeper and rode with me until the first aid station. And Jeff, who stayed with/near me from the first water station until the end.

Even those riders who had a harder ride than they expected – you are a badass. You rode the miles fair and square. And now you know your strengths and weakness. Race day will bring back familiar roads and the memory of how to whoop the 56 miles.

The river swim is a source of nervousness for so many (me included who hates the cold water). But we all tackled it, we faced our fears. Even though Gator Fest 1.2 swim was my third dip in the river, I was still nervous and joked to Brian if he would yell at me again if I didn’t get into the river this time. I gave him no chance to. My wave was called. An extra breath of 1-2-3 and I slid in and started. That’s badass.

 

4. You make mental notes of the race course that mean something to YOU

When you do the camp and you do the course, there are some things that you pick up that are special to YOU. My notes might mean nothing to you and yours might not mean anything to me. But those are the little things that will get you through on race day. Maybe a memory of you toughing it out, or one that you rode next to a friend and shared a joke, or one that just gladdened your heart and made you smile.

The kelp and underwater plants in the river were actually beautiful and not creepy – with the sun shining through making patterns in the water and plants swaying smoothly along the flow of the river. 

Mile 32 is *my* hill, which is in the middle of the longest climb, where I had to stop the first time around. And funnily, there’s a farm next to it call “Laid-Back Farm”. When I passed that spot, I gave an internal cheer.

The road to the completion of the first run loop is one of the worst – going towards transition and I’m sure many athletes would be picking up their bikes by the time I’m running. But towards the end is *my* fire station where I fell last time and the firemen took care of me. 

 

5. You actually look forward to race day because you get to see your friends again!

Camp makes memories. There is nothing else to be said there.

I renewed friendships with people I’d met before and I made new ones. And I got to know people who I’d only known as a FaceBook name. And felt connected to other kindred spirits. I laughed, I blushed, I giggled. And for a brief moment, forgot that I had a real life to go back to. I reveled in the wonderful hospitality and organization of the TriAugusta Club and Mayor Awesome Jeff Spires.

Remembering that there is only 7 weeks minus 2 days left in the #LongRoadToAugusta brings me waves of nervousness but also excitement knowing that we are all together in this individual sport. We train hard and we play hard.

 

If you are planning to race Ironman 70.3 Augusta, I highly recommend this camp for recon and knowledge. If you have any questions about the race or the Augusta 70.3 training camp, please contact the coaches at TriCoachGeorgia and they will be more than happy to help you with your queries. Or join the TriAugusta club through the very active FaceBook group!

Augusta Half Ironman Training Camp – TriCoachGeorgia

As the 2015 Tri Coach Georgia Augusta Half Iron Training Camp approaches, we are getting daily emails about the camp. Some are folks sharing their excitement, some question why we have changed formats or the order of events, other folks question places to stay, where to eat, what can friends or family do while participating in the camp. A lot thank us for hosting the camp which leads me to reflect back on how we got to this point and why we do this at all.

Coach Slayer and I met several years ago through BeginnerTriathlete.com. I was a newbie prepping for the inaugural Ironman 70.3 Augusta and looking for a used wet suit. Phatknot as was his handle in BT was selling one (and a newbie himself). We connected and I drove to Athens from Augusta one rainy March morning and met him at his now infamous Pain Cave on Slayer Lake; Although he had yet to place even a toe in said lake. We met at his house, I grabbed the suit and headed back home with us both happy about the transaction and never thinking of seeing one another again.

Fast forward to August when I was sitting in the Marriott Riverfront Hotel at my first ever triathlon camp and across the room I see Phatknot (I didn’t come to know him as Slayer until Ironman 70.3 Augusta race weekend when he stayed in my home and that’s a whole other blog about that!!). We acknowledged one another and during a break began recollecting as to why we were familiar to one another when we realized simultaneously that we had done business together earlier in the year.

We swam, rode and ran together that weekend and left the camp completely at peace about the race course and what to expect on race day. We also became friends and followed similar paths in the multisport arena which brings me to this camp this year.

We do this camp for many reasons. One is that we love the sport and the people that make it what it is. Another reason is we want everyone to have a chance to be the best athlete they can be whether that is a world champion qualifier to a cut off time beating finisher. We also know several very dedicated athletes that didn’t make cut off times and are still champions in our eyes because of the commitment to themselves to do their job. We do it to give back to a sport that has brought us new friendships and has taken us places we would have never thought to go without triathlon. We do this for the reasons why we went to our own camp, to ease the apprehensions of the newbie.

I received an email last week by someone telling me how nervous they were about the race. They were following the training plan and triathlon and long distance runs weren’t new to them and they were still nervous. The unknown does that to us. We fear, sometimes to the point of non-action, that which we do not know or understand. As coaches, we help you face those fears so there is no apprehension. A quote on my Road ID is, “Know pain, No Fear” as I believe fear is simply a lack of knowledge.

We do this camp so you can have no fear. We want you fearless on race day from knowing you have went through a long, hard, hot and arduous weekend traversing every inch of the race course guided by coaches and other athletes that have been in your shoes. We all worry about the cold and dark river. The river weeds, the current, the snakes and the alligators. We all worry about the bike course and hills (they get flatter the more your ride them) and the heat. We worry about that miserably long, flat run course. It takes mental toughness to run a straight, flat 1.5 mile segment only to turn and do it again another 7 times and we teach you how to do it. We do this camp so you see all the course and have the tactics to crush it!

We do this for all of you. We would do this for just one of you. We do this so on race day you #DOYOURJOB and #REAPWHATYOUSOW!

See you at camp.

Brian Patterson, aka Coach Spartacus

TriCoachGeorgia

Augusta 70.3 Training Camp

     Join athletes from around the country for a weekend of training for the Intermedix IRONMAN 70.3 Augusta from August 8th – 10th.

 The TriCoachGeorgia.com Augusta half iron training camp is an intensive on-course training weekend. TriCoachGeorgia coaches, all of whom are familiar with the course, will be providing tips, insights, local knowledge and on course training advice to prepare you for the weekend camp as well as focus your race prep to specific nuances of racing this course. Peak Rehabilitation, Fitness and Performance Lab and their Physical Therapists will also provide lectures on topics ranging from lab testing for metabolic efficiency, VO2 max and lactate testing, to injury prevention and rehabilitation.

The camp will begin with an optional pre-camp training session on Friday at 3 pm with a river swim, a ride and/or a run – specific details will be finalized soon.

The official camp will begin at Peak Rehabilitation and Performance Saturday morning, August 9that 7:30 am with a light breakfast and some short lectures on course tips, tricks and local knowledge of the race venue as well as for venues similar to the terrain of Augusta. Participants will then move to the half iron T1/T2 area and begin with a kayak/canoe supported river swim followed by a run on the actual course. There will be an optional river recovery swim after everyone completes the run portion. Saturday evening will include a social hour and dinner. On Sunday, August 10th the bike ride portion of the 70.3 course will take place and the camp officially ends at the conclusion of the bike ride. Learn more at www.tricoachgeorgia.com and register here.

FRIDAY:

  • This day is an OPTIONAL, self-supported training day. Pair up with some new friends and get some training in!

 

SATURDAY:

REGISTRATION/LECTURES

  • WHAT: Camp Registration followed by lectures on training, race prep, course tips, nutrition, lab testing, injury prevention and rehab. In addition to course prep talks from TriCoachGeorgia.com coaches, we’ll have representatives from All3Sports, Peak Performance and the Augusta Sports Council on hand to speak with camp attendees and answer questions. We will also be distributing participant swag bags and raffle tickets for a variety of giveaways throughout the weekend.
  • WHEN: 7:30 am
  • WHERE: Peak Rehabilitation, Fitness and Performance Center.
    1305 D’Antignac St, Augusta, GA 30901
  • FOOD:A light breakfast (bagels, fruit, juice, coffee) will be provided
  • PARKING: At the Peak Performance Lab, located 2.4 miles from the Augusta Boathouse transition area.

 

OPEN WATER SWIM:

  • Savannah River swim
    WHAT: Kayak/canoe-supported swim on race’s actual swim course
    WHEN: Following morning lectures.
    WHERE: Augusta Boathouse
    101 Riverfront Drive Augusta, GA 30901

After the swim, we will organize groups runs of the race’s actual run course. It will be HOT. Water will be supplied for all runners. We also hope to have other hydration choices. If you have a specific beverage of choice, plan to bring your own hydration.

RUN COURSE PREVIEW:

  • WHAT: Run workouts (1 loop or 2 loops) with 3 pace groups led by TriCoachGeorgia.com coaches and TriAugusta Triathlon Club members.
  • PACE GROUPS:
    2:45-3:00+  (12-15 min/mile+)
    2:30 (11 min/mile)
    2:00 (9 min/mile)
  • WHEN: 11 am start after swim
  • WHERE: Augusta Boathouse Transition area
    101 Riverfront Drive

DINNER/SOCIAL MEET & GREET
(If you have selected to join the group for dinner/drinks.)

  • WHAT: Dinner with TriCoachGeorgia coaches and TriAugusta team members.
  • WHEN: 6:00 PM
  • WHERE: TBD
  • DETAILS: We will have a private room with a fixed-price menu.

 

SUNDAY:

 

BIKE COURSE PREVIEW RIDE (SAG provided by All3Sports) with RIDE FOR A REASON

  • WHAT: We’ll have several different Pace Groups and 2 ride-length options (63 miles and 28 miles). Since we are staring at Fat Man’s Cafe, there is a few miles of additional riding.
  • PACE GROUPS: Led by TriCoachGeorgia.com coaches and TriAugusta Triathlon Club members.
  • FULL-COURSE options:
    15-16 mph or below (3:30 +)
    17-18 mph (3:15 – 3:30)
    19-20 mph. +  (2:45 – 3:00)
  • 28-MILE option (We will have a TriCoachGeorgia coach or a local TriAugusta Triathlon Club member available to help lead this shorter route at whatever pace you want. There will only be ONE group for this option.)
  • WHEN: 7:30 am start
  • WHERE: Fat Man’s Cafe at Enterprise Mill, 1450 Greene Street, Augusta GA 30901
    *NOTE: The ride will be supported by an All3Sports van, staffed by store employees. We are grateful to have them along!
TriCoachGeorgia

Ironman Chattanooga Training Camp Weekend

IRONMAN CHATTANOOGA TRAINING CAMP WEEKEND DETAILS

Click this LINK to visit the Facebook page with camp details etc.

FRIDAY:
This day is an OPTIONAL, self-supported training day. Pair up with some new friends and get some training in!  See FB link above to introduce yourselves to others who are coming out for the weekend.

 

SATURDAY:                                                                                   

SWIM:
Chattanooga Open Water Swim Association hosts the U.S. Masters Swimming 2.4 Mile Open Water National Championship

  • WHAT: Open Water Swim event
  • WHEN:  9 am check-in. Swim heats start at 11 am
  • WHERE: Tenneesee River Downtown Chattanooga Waterfront at Coolidge Park – 150 River St Chattanooga, TN 36405 USA

RUN GROUPS: 

  • WHAT: Preview of the run course following Open Water Swim event. We will have nutrition/fueling samples from UCan and possibly other companies for campers to test.
  • WHEN: 3 pm  (shortly after the swim awards)
  • WHERE: Meet at grassy area in front of Cold Stone Creamery 100 Chestnut St, Chattanooga, TN 

GROUP SOCIAL & DINNER:

  • WHAT: Group social and dinner
  • WHEN: 6:30
  • WHERE: Big River Grille Downtown – 222 Broad Street Chattanooga, TN  Phone: 423-267-2739.

SUNDAY:

LECTURES and BIKE COURSE PREVIEW RIDE: (ride SAG provided by All3Sports.com)

  • WHAT: IM Chattanooga-specific racing/training information from TriCoachGeorgia.com and other Southeast U.S.-area coaches
  • WHEN:  8 am – lectures (parking lot TBD).
    9 am  – group ride (options of one or two loops with multiple group leaders of various paces).
  • WHAT: We are planning to have 3 different Pace Groups and 2 primary ride-length options (67 miles and 112 miles. There is also an 22-mile out/back option). See map link here and here. We are planning to have water placed at the Hog Jowl turn (approx. Mile 40), but to be sure, plan on self-supporting your ride.
  • PACE GROUPS: Led by TriCoachGeorgia.com coaches and other local riders/coaches.
  • WHERE: Bi-Lo parking lot. 3801 Tennessee Ave, Chattanooga, TN

POST-RIDE BRICK RUN: (swag provided by TriSports.com)

  • WHAT: After the ride, we will have an optional self-supported brick run. It will be HOT. Dasani water will be supplied for all runners. If you have a specific beverage of choice, plan to bring your own hydration.
TriCoachGeorgia

Come Join Us For the Georgia Triathlon Series by Setup Events

We at www.TriCoachGeorgia.com are very excited to be a part of the 2014 Georgia Triathlon Series from Setup Events as a one of the coaching partners! We are a relatively newer coaching firm and team on our 3rd season now but we have experienced phenomenal results in this short time frame. Thus our roster, online presence, Augusta 70.3 and now IMCHOO camps, and training sessions have grown accordingly. We hope you will take advantage of our free 8 week static training plans for the series and we are free to answer questions for you about training and racing online or in person at the races.

Hopefully, you will join us and be able to have results like Seth Waltman aka the TaxSlayer, one of our athletes. Let him tell you about his transformation from couch potato to Half Ironman and his pursuit of Ironman this year

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“I approached Tri Coach Georgia coach, Dr. Harvey “Slayer” Gayer, in December 2012 to ask him if he could train me to be able to finish the Augusta 70.3 Half Ironman race. After our interview, he said he would be able to get me through the finish with a smile on my face. I weighed 207 pounds at the time. I am 5’8″ and at the time was in terrible shape.

I received my first workout on December 28, 2012. It was for a 20 minute run and a short swim. I ran 1.67 miles that day. As time went on, I got stronger and my workouts improved. I was losing a lot of weight and I was getting faster and able to complete longer workouts. You can see by my before and after photos what a drastic change I made and have maintained.

With the success that I was having in my training, Coach Slayer started to talking to me about how he thought I could complete a full Ironman. This was a couple of months before I had even completed Augusta. In September 2013, I signed up for IM Chattanooga and IM New Orleans 70.3 before competing in Augusta. I completed Augusta in 5:39 which was faster than both of us thought I would finish the race and at a weight of 166 pounds (down over 40lbs!). I really enjoyed the race and knew that with the proper training I would be able to complete Chattanooga, too.

Coach Slayer is my coach and he is my friend. I could not have found a better coach for me. All of the coaches are the same kind of people. You can’t go wrong with them. Join me and the team at LaGrange for the sprint tri as we start the series off right!”

TriCoachGeorgia

Augusta 70.3 Camp Recap

July 13-14, 2013

We held our annual Augusta Ironman 70.3 camp about two months before this year’s race to help inform, educate and train many of the race’s athletes. Despite heavy rain that made it impossible to swim in the Savannah River, we had a great turnout with about 60 athletes at this year’s event.

We’d like to thank all of those who participated, especially the many enthusiastic and welcoming members of the Augusta Triathlon Club, and give another shout-out to the event’s many sponsors; including the Augusta Sports CouncilPeak Rehabilitation, Fitness and Performance CenterAll3SportsGeneration UCANOutspokin’ BicyclesWells Fargo Home Mortgage and Fusion Sports USA. For those who attended, don’t forget to visit our sponsors for some great deals.

Here are a few recaps of the weekend.
“A dream training weekend!” – Virginia at Swim Bike Kid
“Just what everyone needed!” –  Devon at TriDevil_DK  
“It was a great weekend. Thank you guys so much for the hospitality. It was great!” – Mark Nelson, Orange Park, Florida – via Facebook

We look forward to seeing a new crop of attendees next year!

Below is a recap of the weekend camp agenda.

SATURDAY:

REGISTRATION/LECTURES

  • WHAT: Camp Registration followed by lectures on training, race prep, course tips, nutrition, lab testing, injury prevention and rehab. In addition to course prep talks from TriCoachGeorgia.com coaches, we’ll have representatives from All3Sports, Peak Performance, the Augusta Sports Council and Outspokin’ Bicycles on hand to speak with camp attendees and answer questions. We will also be distributing participant swag bags and raffle tickets for a variety of giveaways throughout the weekend.
  • WHEN: 8 am
  • WHERE: Peak Rehabilitation, Fitness and Performance Center.
    1305 D’Antignac St, Augusta, GA 30901
  • FOOD:A light breakfast (bagels, fruit, juice, coffee) will be provided
  • PARKING: At the Peak Performance Lab, located 2.4 miles from the Augusta Boathouse transition area.

BIKE COURSE PREVIEW RIDE (SAG provided by All3Sports)

  • WHAT: We’ll have 3 different Pace Groups and 2 ride-length options (56 miles and 45 miles).
  • PACE GROUPS: Led by TriCoachGeorgia.com coaches and TriAugusta team members.
  • FULL-COURSE options:
    15-16 mph or below (3:30 +)
    17-18 mph (3:15 – 3:30)
    19-20 mph. +  (2:45 – 3:00)
  • 45-MILE option (We will have a TriCoachGeorgia coach or a local TriAugusta team member available to help lead this shorter route at whatever pace you want. There will only be ONE group for this option.)
  • WHEN: 11 am start
  • WHERE: 101 Riverfront Drive Augusta, GA 30901
    Start at Augusta boathouse/Transition area (You can ride to the boathouse from Peak offices or drive your car over and park in the lot.)
    *NOTE: The ride will be supported by an All3Sports van, staffed by store employees. We are grateful to have them along!

BRICK RUN:

After the bike ride, we will have an optional brick run. It will be HOT. Water will be supplied for all runners by All3Sports. We also hope to have other hydration choices. If you have a specific beverage of choice, plan to bring your own hydration.

DINNER/SOCIAL MEET & GREET (presented by Augusta Wells Fargo Home Mortgage)
If you have selected to join the group for dinner/drinks.

  • WHAT: Dinner with TriCoachGeorgia coaches and TriAugusta team members. WHEN: 6:00 PM
  • WHERE: Crums on Central
    http://crumsoncentral.com
    1855 Central Ave, Augusta, GA 30904
  • DETAILS: We will have a private room with a fixed-price menu.
  • PARKING: On street or in the rear of restaurant. (You have to drive between two buildings to access the rear parking lot.) If possible, please carpool.
  • MENU: (This is the REALLY GOOD part!)
  • APPETIZERS AND DRINKS (provided by Wells Fargo Home Mortgage and TriCoachGeorgia)
    Lemon Hummus, Olive Tapenade, Small Herb Salad, Wood Fired Pizza, Domestic beer and wine
  • ENTREES (paid for by attendee) $20, not including tax or gratuity.
    Pork Pasta – In house smoked pulled pork in a rustic garlic cream sauce. With smoked tomatoes, carmalized onions and arugula.
    12 oz Ribeye – Served with garlic whipped mashed potatoes and asparagus
    Organic Chicken Breast – pan roasted and served with wild rice and sauteed seasonal veggies.

SUNDAY:

OPEN WATER SWIM:

  • SAVANNAH RIVER SWIM  HAS BEEN CANCELED DUE TO DANGEROUS CONDITIONS
    WHAT: Open water swim in Augusta area. Details to follow.
    WHEN: 8 AM start with full kayak support.
    WHERE: Directions to follow

RUN COURSE PREVIEW:

  • WHAT: Run workouts (1 loop or 2 loops) with 3 pace groups led by TriCoachGeorgia.com coaches and TriAugusta team members.
  • PACE GROUPS:
    2:45-3:00+  (12-15 min/mile+)
    2:30 (11 min/mile)
    2:00 (9 min/mile)
  • WHEN: 9 am start after swim
  • WHERE: Augusta Boathouse Transition area
    101 Riverfront Drive
    Augusta, GA 30901Get ready to Do Your Job!
    – The TriCoachGeorgia Team